Senate wants to put an end to texting and driving

This entry was posted on June 10, 2010 by Pure Mobile.

If the U.S. Senate has its way, texting while driving is soon to be banned. A version of S. 1938 is being planned for revision by the U.S. Senate which would result in a program that bans smsing while driving. The main goal of the ban is to provide different financial initiatives to states as a bonus in preventing texting from any handheld devices while driving. It has been planed that this Act would be on par with laws for the legal drinking age, maximum speed limits and the need for a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Those states that are able to have an impact on their citizens through the enactment of such laws would be given more federal monies, although the limits have yet to be defined. There have already been numerous states that have enacted a ban for driving and texting as well as banning the use of mobiles while driving. The proposed legislation has been set for June since it is National Safe Driving Month.

It has been stated by various regulators as well as The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that all states should now come up with ways and means of banning texting while driving. A basic framework has been established by the NHTSA for those states currently not having any law in effect. Through this framework, states can come up with their own laws and regulations for curbing texting while driving. It has been suggested by the NHTSA that drivers caught texting should be fined $75 with possible future action taken against their driving privileges.

The NHTSA is also pushing for a law that will treat drivers as criminals should they injure or kill a pedestrian. “We believe that texting while driving is very similar to talking on one’s unlocked cell phone when driving as it can cause harm to an innocent pedestrian. All states should take effective measures to ensure that such life threatening practices are avoided at all costs,” states the NHTSA.